How do you do this?

[radhak]

LOML found that she wanted a copy of the brackets for our kids' bedroom drapes, but could not find it in stores. The original show below.

I told her that I could make a pair for her, getting the general curved shape was not a problem.

But how do I make the groove along the outer curved edge? Anybody have any ideas?

[RodKirby]

Speciality Router bit? - something like a drawer pull bit

[drumpriest]

How about a cove bit that is 1/2 the size of the cut?

[Popeye]

Gonna take something on the order of what Rod pictured. You'd never get a cove bit in there like that. Try going through here and see if you can find something. http://mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_...l?src=googlead Pat

[leehljp]

I believe it was probably made with pattern bushing on a shaper bit. Even if you do use a router, you will need a pilot bearing and 1/4 inch shaped pattern.

[Ken Massingale]

Carver's Spoon Plane:


Half Round Spokeshave, Figure A:


Woodcraft and other stores.

[Stytooner]

Here's your chance for a new tool. Carvewright with a ball mill.

[sacherjj]

Congratulations, Lee. I didn't think that you could reach quite that dollar level in suggestions of how to do this. Now I know.

My answer would depend on how many you need to make. I could see making a quick scraper in a jig that you could pass over the piece through a bunch of times until it is scraped down to the correct profile. That is the route I would go for 3 or less.

[scorrpio]

The proper tool here is a shaper. If you can locate a right-sized router bit, can be done on a router table.
http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2007/Main/468 - see 'internal radius' bits. Available in 3/16, 1/4, 3/8, 5/8, 1 1/8" cutting radius. If the groove is shallower than a full semicircle, you'll need to do one of the following:
Install a larger guide bearing.
Enlarge the bearing by winding thin strip of tape around it.
Then, use a beading bit to round off the edges.

[cabinetman]

If you could give some dimensions of the entire profile, like overall height (thickness), width of the edges, and depth of the cove, might be of help.

[radhak]

Like i have always said, 'This here is a regular university' ! Lotsa learning. Thanks for all the advice.

A pilot-bearing bit with a pattern to guide it is something i have attempted in the past, though only with a straight bit. The speciality router bit seems nice too. The manual tools (spokeshave and spoon plane) are intriguing, particularly because i have rarely tried any 'manual' techniques yet and always wondered where they'd be used. Now i know.

Had to google 'Carvewright' to see what it is. Will have to play more of the Lotto for that.

The original piece is 1 inch thick, and fits a 7" x 8" blank. I think the groove is about 1/8" deep.

She just wants one pair, and today she also doused my fire with a 'nah, i am not bothered with that groove, i just need that general shape'. I shall still try and see if i can manage this.

[jseklund]

OK, this is a suggestion more for seeing what people think of it than saying it is the route you should take. It will be a lot more work than finding a bit or using a shaper, but it may work. However, I'm new to all of this, and want to find new ways to accomplish things I don't have the exact tool for.

What about doing it with a table saw? You could center the piece ove the blade and make the deepest cut. Then lower the blade a little and cut a little more, and so on out to the edges? When it is all done- you could sand it down to make it nice and smooth. Sure it's multiple cuts, and requires work and precision and a careful hand- but it may do just fine in a pinch, don't you think?

[LarryG]

What about doing it with a table saw? You could center the piece ove the blade and make the deepest cut. Then lower the blade a little and cut a little more, and so on out to the edges?

That would work (albeit a little tediously) if the piece were straight, but not with it curved in the other direction.

Knowing the thickness (which I had guessed must be about 1" to 1-1/4", from looking at the pictures), I'd make a pass on each edge with a bullnose bit and do the middle with a fluting (internal radius) bit. It might not exactly match the original but with the appropriate sized bits, it'd be close enough to pass all but the most discriminating of inspections.

[messmaker]

I would consider dropping the grove part of the profile. It will take as much time and/or money to get that, as it will the entire rest of the piece. If you just cut it out with a jigsaw then round over the outside, you can knock it out in no time.It comes down to how much you like it.

[LCHIEN]

The proper tool here is a shaper. If you can locate a right-sized router bit, can be done on a router table.
http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2007/Main/468 - see 'internal radius' bits. Available in 3/16, 1/4, 3/8, 5/8, 1 1/8" cutting radius. If the groove is shallower than a full semicircle, you'll need to do one of the following:
Install a larger guide bearing.
Enlarge the bearing by winding thin strip of tape around it.
Then, use a beading bit to round off the edges.

I vote for this approach.